FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY LEGISLATIVE ELECTION OF 18 SEPTEMBER 2005 =================================================================== Elections to the Bundestag Source: German Federal Republic elections website Parties -------------------------------------------------------------------- * CDU - Christlich-Demokratische Union (Christian-Democratic Union) * CSU - Christlich Soziale Union (Christian Social Union) * FDP - Freie Demokratische Partei (Free Democratic Party) * Grune - Die Grünen (The Greens) * Linke - Die Linke (The Left) * SPD - Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (Social Democratic Party of Germany) In these tables the Linke vote is compared with the PDS vote in 2002. NATIONAL SUMMARIES OF VOTES AND SEATS =================================================================== FIRST VOTE: MEMBERS ELECTED FROM CONSTITUENCES =================================================================== Voters: 61,870,195 Votes cast: 48,044,841 (77.7%) Invalid votes: 850,302 (01.8%) Valid votes: 47,194,539 (98.2%) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Party Votes % Seats ------------------------------------------------------------------- CDU 15,391,143 32.6 (+00.5) 106 (+24) CSU 3,889,990 08.2 (-00.8) 44 (+01) FDP 2,208,546 04.7 (-01.1) - Grune 2,538,915 05.4 (-00.2) 1 Linke 3,764,278 08.0 (+03.7) 3 (+01) SPD 18,129,226 38.4 (-03.5) 145 (-26) Others 1,272,441 02.7 - ------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 47,194,539 299 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SECOND VOTE: MEMBERS ELECTED FROM PARTY LISTS IN THE STATES =================================================================== Voters: 61,870,195 Votes cast: 48,044,841 (77.7%) Invalid votes: 756,385 (01.6%) Valid votes: 47,288,456 (98.4%) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Party Votes % Seats ------------------------------------------------------------------- CDU 13,136,992 27.8 (-01.7) 74 (-34) CSU 3,494,309 07.4 (-01.6) 2 (-13) FDP 4,648,133 09.8 (+02.5) 61 (+14) Grune 3,838,349 08.1 (-00.5) 50 (-04) Linke 4,118,248 08.7 (+04.7) 51 (+51) SPD 16,194,757 34.2 (-04.3) 77 (-03) Others 1,857,668 03.9 - ------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 47,288,456 315 (+11) ------------------------------------------------------------------- These seats are not allocated proportionately, but in order to achieve an overall proportionate result when the 299 members elected by the constituencies are taken into account, as shown in the following table: SUMMARY OF VOTES AND SEATS =========================================================================== % of Constituency List Total Party Second vote Seats Seats Seats % --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CDU 27.8 106 74 180 (-10) 29.3 CSU 07.4 44 2 46 (-12) 07.5 FDP 09.8 - 61 61 (+14) 09.9 Grune 08.1 1 50 51 (-04) 08.3 Linke 08.7 3 51 54 (+52) 08.8 SPD 34.3 145 77 222 (-29) 36.1 Others 03.9 - - - 00.0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 299 315 614 (+11) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The ruling coalition of SPD and Greens thus win 273 seats, a net loss of 33, and lose their majority in the Bundestag. But the centre-right coalition of the CDU-CSU and FPD win only 287, a net loss of eight, and short of a majority (308). The Left thus holds the balance of power. The SPD-Green coalition can retain office if the Left supports them, or if they can entice the FPD into a three-party coalition. An SPD-CDU-CSU "grand coalition" is also possible.